The first animals appeared on Earth

According to a new study published in the journal Nature, scientists from the University of California Berkeley believe they have identified the first animal to appear on Earth about 700 million years ago that may have been the comb jellyfish. - a predator across the ocean. And today they are still found in all seas of the world, still part of the marine ecosystem.

 Instead of using tentacles like jellyfish, this ancient animal propels itself through the water with cilia.

It is difficult to know what the most commonly known ancestors of all these animals looked like because they are molluscs and are not, said Professor Daniel Rokhsar of the University of California Berkeley and co-author of the study. leave any direct fossil traces. But based on living animals it is possible to know about their ancestors.

Which animal appeared first, the comb jellyfish or the sponge, was the subject of long debate. Many people think that the sponge with its primitive features is the first animal to appear, before the comb jellyfish.

According to the researchers, this new finding has an important role in helping them learn about basic functions of all animals and humans today, such as how we move, eat and feel. surroundings.

Kareem Winters

Update 18 August 2023